New Jersey
What are the best states in the nation for 2025? See where New Jersey ranks
These eight products are made in New Jersey: Video
The Garden State is known for industry — and it produces plenty of products that we use on a daily basis.
Residents of the Garden State all have their reasons for living here. And while the state may have its quirks, many of us likely consider it to be one of the best places in the country.
As it turns out, we’re not too far off: New Jersey was named the 19th best state in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best States Ranking.
The ranking was based on how all 50 states performed in eight categories — education, health care, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment — using data from recent national surveys that asked more than 50,000 people to prioritize each issue in their respective states.
Each state also received individual rankings for each of these eight categories, as well as for key metrics within each of these categories.
Where New Jersey ranked in each category
The Garden State placed in the top half of the 50 states for four of the eight categories considered in the ranking. The state also received a first-place ranking in the report’s most heavily weighted category: education.
New Jersey earned its highest ranking — and the highest ranking in the nation — for education, coming in first out of all 50 states. The report said that this ranking is credited to the state’s performance in pre-K-12 education — specifically for preschool enrollment, standardized test scores and high school graduation rate, which far exceeds its performance in higher education.
“The top 3 states in the pre-K-12 subcategory (New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut) all find themselves in the bottom half of states for higher education,” the report reads. “Across the board, these three states rank in the bottom 10 for tuition and fees and debt at graduation.”
For health care, New Jersey ranked fifth overall. The report said that this ranking is consistent with what was seen throughout the Northeast, especially when it comes to public health.
The state also placed highly for both crimes and corrections (No. 10) and infrastructure (No. 12), and moderately for natural environment (No. 28) and economy (No. 31). But on the other end, New Jersey ranked poorly for opportunity (No. 45) and fiscal stability (No. 49) because of the state’s overall lack of affordability.
What are the five best, and worst, states in the nation?
Utah was named the overall best state in the nation, ranking in the top 20 for seven of the eight categories, according to the report. New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota and Nebraska made up the remaining top five states.
On the other end, Louisiana ranked 50th overall and is considered to be the worst state in the nation, according to the report. Alaska, Mississippi, New Mexico and West Virginia also ranked in the report’s bottom five states.
Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at MMcGay@gannett.com.
Justin Murphy has defeated Robert Lebovics, Richard Tabor and Alex Zdan in New Jersey’s 2026 primary election for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
The Associated Press declared Murphy the winner at 11:25 p.m., , with Murphy leading the other GOP candidates with 33% of the vote. Murphy will face Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Cory Booker in November’s general election. Booker ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Justin Murphy is a former committee person in Tabernacle, a small town in the Pine Barrens of Burlington County. He dedicated his campaign to the men and women of the U.S. military and said he was running because he cares about the culture of America, parental rights, health care and economic opportunity.
Murphy, who is an attorney, said his top priorities include private sector growth, tax cuts and spending reductions. He said during his campaign that he is committed to standing up to terrorism and crime, he supports securing the country’s northern and southern borders and intends to fight for energy independence if elected.
He also pledged to work to ensure older residents have an excellent Medicare program and said he will fight to keep the Jersey Shore “windmill free.”
During his campaign, Murphy said China poses a serious threat to the U.S., but he supports engaging with the Chinese from a position of strength, politically and economically. He also said on his website that he opposes the legalization of recreational marijuana. He ran for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in 2024 and finished in third place.
Here comes the midterms: Murphy to face Booker in November
Booker was elected to the Newark City Council in 1998, then served as the mayor from 2006 until 2013, when he won a special election for the U.S. Senate seat that was left vacant following the death of U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Booker was reelected the following year in the general election and was victorious in the 2020 general election.
Booker, a frequent critic of the Trump administration, has recently called for the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in Newark to be shut down and has strongly opposed the Department of Homeland Security’s plan to house an immigrant detention center in Roxbury Township.
Last year, Booker made the longest speech in the history of the Senate, lasting 25 hours and five minutes.
He is considered a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate and has introduced legislation to significantly expand the standard tax deduction for singles and married couples, which would lower taxes on low- and middle-income wage earners. Booker grew up in North Jersey and graduated from Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan.
According to the most recent statistics available, there are 6,679,849 registered voters in New Jersey. There are 2,535,718 registered Democrats, 1,677,041 registered Republicans and 2,467,092 independents and others. The general election is Nov. 3.
New Jersey
Shooting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, leaves suspect dead, 2 police officers injured, mayor says
A shooting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has left a suspect dead and two officers wounded Tuesday, Mayor Marty Small Sr. said.
The shooting happened in the area of the 100 block of North Florida Avenue. Chopper 3 was over the scene, where a large police presence could be seen.
The conditions of the two officers weren’t immediately available. According to Small, the two officers were executing a search warrant.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Tuesday, June 2, 2026 10:20AM
PINE HILL, N.J. (WPVI) — Six people were taken to the hospital after escaping a house fire in Pine Hill, Camden County, on Tuesday.
Firefighters responded to the home in the 100 block of Erial Road around 1 a.m.
When crews arrived, they found heavy fire conditions in all four areas of the home, including the basement with people trapped inside.
Officials say all those residents, including some children, were able to make it out of the home.
They were taken to the hospital for evaluation. There has been no word on their conditions.
Fire officials said it took crews about 40 minutes to get the blaze under control.
There has been no word on what caused the fire.
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